Automobile spring structurf



April '13 ,1926. I

I N. L. DO'OTSON' A TOMOBILE sPn'nqg STRUCTURE Filed ay 4; 1925 Patented "1926.

UNIT/ED. STA

T S- rim EF noRMAN LESLIE DOOTSON, or SAN FRANCISCO, onnrronnm AUTOMOBILE SPRING strancrcnr Applicationfiled May 4, 1925. Seria1 No[27,929.

To ail-"whom it may concern Be it known that T, Nonstan- LESLIE Doorson, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county ofSan Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Imprbvements in an I Automobile Spring Structure, of which the following is a specification. This invention relatesbroadly to an improved auto nobile spring structure wherein a conventional leaf spring "is disposed below the chassis frame, and under ordinary circumstances, connected at its ends with the adjacent bar of the frame.

The present invention however particular reference to an auxiliary means or shock absorber-which is intended to be '10- catcd between. and connected with sis and leaf spring respectively.

W'ithin my conception the invention il lustrated by a plurality'of different embodi "ments, and generally considered, it may be said thatthe invention comprises a shockiabsorber which is interposed betweenthe adj acent ends of a chassis bar, and leaf spring, portions of the absorber being directly and pivotally connected with the bar and spring, and there being at least one coil spring in association with these portions to render them active in both directions of movement, whereby 'to render the. device effective to yieldably resist shocks,.bo.th up and down.

The specific embodiments of this broad generic structure will be set out in order in the following description and drawing. Inthe accompanying drawing forming a part of the application and in which like numerals are employed to designate lik parts throughout the" same:

Figure, 1 is a side view in section and .ele-

vation of one embodiment of the invention. T Figure 2 is a similar view of another embodiment. Figures 3 to 6 inclusive are diagrammatic or side views of a plurality of other different embodiments of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1 it will be seen that the reference character 1 designates one side bar of an automobile chassis frame,-

and the 'reference character 2 designates one end portion of an ordinary leaf semi-elliptic .spring which is ordinarily fastened at its center to the adjacent axle. In accordance with myidea the ends of thespring, and the chassis bar are spaced apart to accommodate the. shock absorbershown. In this the shock absorber comprises a pair 'c'at'e arms 3 pivotally connnecte together gularly and has more the chas f dupliinstance I between their ends as'at 4. The arms at one end are pivoted as at '5 to the corresponding ends of the-chassis bar and main spring- The opposite ends of the arms are bent anflattend as indicated at 6, and a fairly heavy coiledspring 7 is located be tween and connected with these flattened ends- Supplemental springs 8 are interv posed between the flattened ends 6 and the upper spring is connected with a cross spin Son the chassis barwhile the lower spring is connected with' a clip 10 on the leaf spring, 2. Acting 111 conjunction with these cross arms is a pair of links 11 pivoted together as at 12 and having'their other ends connected to the same pivots 5 already described.

. In Figure 2,1 show but a single arm 13, this being pivoted at '14: to one end of the leaf spring 2 and having its opposite end flattened'and disposed horizontally as at 15,

and located equi-distant between the chassis bar'and leaf spring. A comparatively large and strong helical spring 16 is connected with the leaf spring 2 and the arm while a comparatively weaker spring 17 is connected with the arm and chassis bar; =A short link 18 is pivoted to the intermediate portion of the arm 13 andalso pivoted as at 19 to the end of the chassis bar.- 4

" Observing Figure 3 it-will be se'en that this'is substantially identicai -with the showingmade in Figure 1-except that the links 11 and-auxiliary springs 8 areeliminated.

inasmuch as theother details are the same, i

the same reference characters are applied to corresponding parts.

Figure 4 shows the same structure seenin Figure 3, but includes auxiliary means. The corresponding details of Figure 3 bear the same reference characters and need not be again described. In this embodiment however, we find auxiliary crossed arms 3 pivoted atone end to the chassis bar and leaf spring respectively, and having a coiled spring 17- interposed between theirv opposite ends and appropriatelyfastened in place.

. Referring now to Figure 5 it will-be seenthat a tog le 20 is-eniployed, the entire toggle being interposed 1, and the leaf spring 2. One divergent pair of links 21 are connected with the chassis between the chassis bar bar and the remaining pair 22 are connected with the leaf spring, there being a single horizontally disposed coiled spring 23 lo- -chassis bar and leaf spring cated between thepairs of-links atthe cell;-

ter of the toggle.

Finally, in Figure 6 we see. a pair of crossed members 24 pivotally connected between their ends and extending outwardly beyond the chassis bar and the leaf spring. I

These members are connected at one end with the chassis bar and spring, while a coiled spring 25 is interposed between and connected with the opposite end. In addition, two other coiled springs 26 are connected at their opposite ends with the'last named ends of the members and with the pivots respectively. p I

From the foregoing description it will be observed'that I have evolved and'produced a novel shock absorber for disposition be tween a leaf spring and a chassis/bar, the construction being such that the principle of operation is substantiallythe same in all embodiments'of the invention It is thought that persons familiar with devices of this kind will be able to obtain a clear under-'- standing by considering the detaileddescription in connection with the drawings.

spring disposed beneath said bar, the adja cent and corresponding-ends of said spring and barv being" spaced apart, and shock absorbing means located in the space between said ends, said means comprising an arm pivoted at its outer end to an adjacent end of said spring, the opposite endof thearm being bent angularly to dispose it in spaced parallelism to the end portion of thebar and spring, coiled springs connected with the inner end portion of the arm and with the leaf spring and bar respectively, and a relatively short link pivoted at one-end to the end of said bar and at its opposite end to the intermediate portion of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NORMAN LESLIE DOOTSON. 

